Bellenden Ker is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Cairns Region The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , the locality of Bellenden Ker had a population of 229 people.

Geography

The locality is bounded to the east by the

Russell River The Russell River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. The -long river flows towards the Coral Sea and is located approximately south of . Location and features The Russell River rises in the Wooroonooran National Park sourced fro ...

and to the south by Frenchmans Creek (which becomes a tributary of the Russell River in the south-east of the locality). The locaity is bounded to the west by the eastern extent of the

Wooroonooran National Park Wooroonooran National Park (Aboriginal for "Black Rock") is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1,367 km northwest of Brisbane, between Innisfail, Queensland, Innisfail and Cairns. The park is one of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Wet ...

. The Bellenden Ker Range runs through the national park where the three peaks of Mount Bellenden Ker are located (i.e. west of this locality which shares its name). The

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Natio ...

enters the locality from the south (

Babinda Babinda is a rural town and locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. Babinda and Tully annually compete for the Golden Gumboot, an award for Australia's wettest town. Babinda is usually the winner, recording an annual average rain ...

) and exits to the north ( Deeral). The North Coast railway also enters the locality from the south (Babinda) immediately east of the highway and also exits to the north (Deeral).

History

The town and locality take their names from the Bellenden Ker Range. The range in turn was named on 22 June 1819 by Lieutenant

Phillip Parker King Phillip Parker King (13 December 1791 – 26 February 1856) was an early explorer of the Australian and Patagonian coasts. Early life and education King was born on Norfolk Island, to Philip Gidley King and Anna Josepha King ''née'' Coo ...

, the hydrographer on the HM Colonial Cutter ''Mermaid'' after botanist

John Bellenden Ker John Bellenden Ker ( ''Gawler'') was an English botanist, born about 1764, Andover, Hampshire, Ramridge, Andover, Hampshire, which was where he died in June 1842. On 5 November 1804, he changed his name to Ker Bellenden, but continued to sign h ...

at the suggestion of Allan Cunningham who was the botanist on board the ''Mermaid''. Bellenden Ker State School opened on 14 August 1922. Bellenden Ker Post Office opened on 1 July 1936 and closed on 23 November 1974. Bellenden Ker Memorial Hall opened on Saturday 5 December 1936 in the presence of over 300 people. The community had raised funds over a number of years to build the hall.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Bellenden Ker had a population of 475 people. In the , the locality of Bellenden Ker had a population of 252 people. In the , the locality of Bellenden Ker had a population of 229 people.

Education

Bellenden Ker State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 77 Harvey Creek Road (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 10 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (1 full-time equivalent). There are no secondary schools in Bellenden Ker. The nearest government secondary school is Babina State School in neighbouring

to the south.

Amenities

Bellenden Ker Memorial Hall is at 78 Harvey Creek Road (). There is a boat ramp with jetty on the Russell River Road on the north bank of the Russell River (). It is managed by the

Cairns Regional Council The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Queensland Suburbs of Cairns Localities in Queensland